Chapter 470 - 395: Oh, My Son
Just then, Zhao Youcai asked Zhao Jun again, "Where’s that little bastard of Zhang Wangba’s?"
"I had my uncle and Brother Dalong tie him up," Zhao Jun said. "I told them to carry Zhang Laibao to our place, but I’m afraid Zhang Zhanshan might try to intercept them on the way."
"Son of a bitch!" Hearing this, Zhao Youcai just waved a hand at Li Dayong and said, "Let’s go!"
With that, Zhao Youcai strode quickly out of the courtyard.
Li Dayong gave a firm nod and followed after Zhao Youcai. They had both gotten half a night’s sleep, so they were full of energy and walked at a brisk pace.
Poor Zhao Jun, on the other hand, hadn’t slept a wink. He had also carried Li Baoyu on his back for over a mile. Now, he staggered as he walked and had to break into a trot to keep up with Zhao Youcai and Li Dayong.
When the three of them were about halfway there, they heard the sound of crying. In the dead of night, with the great mountains looming nearby and the shrill calls of owls echoing from the village’s tall trees, the sound was terrifying.
Zhao Youcai stopped in his tracks. The burly Li Dayong stepped in front of him, shielding him. He shone a flashlight ahead with one hand while his other reached for the Invasion Blade at his lower back.
"Who is it?" Wang Qiang’s voice called out from up ahead.
"Qiangzi!" Hearing Wang Qiang’s voice, Zhao Youcai quickly stepped out from behind Li Dayong and hurried forward to meet them.
Coming toward them were Wang Qiang and Wang Dalong, and the two were carrying a person between them as if hauling a pig.
Zhang Laibao’s hands and feet were bound together. A pole was threaded through the space between his limbs, and he was being carried by Wang Qiang and Wang Dalong, sobbing nonstop.
Zhao Jun stepped closer and shone the flashlight in his face, forcing Zhang Laibao to squeeze his eyes shut. He could see that not only were Zhang Laibao’s eyes red from crying, but both of his cheeks were swollen and covered in red handprints. He had obviously been slapped repeatedly.
Zhao Jun didn’t care who did it. He just looked at Zhao Youcai, waiting for his old man to give the word.
Zhao Youcai looked at Zhang Laibao but called out, "Dayong!"
Li Dayong stepped forward, positioning himself behind Zhao Youcai. "Brother!" he replied.
Zhao Youcai pointed a finger at Zhang Laibao and said to Li Dayong, "You and Qiangzi carry this little bastard back. Then the two of you stand guard at the house. If Zhang Zhanshan dares come to our home to get him, you beat him half to death."
With only women and children at home, one of their own had to be there to guard them. That was why Zhao Youcai had Li Dayong take over for Wang Dalong.
"You got it!" Li Dayong acknowledged, then went over and took the carrying pole from Wang Dalong’s shoulder.
"Dalong!" Zhao Youcai then turned his attention to Wang Dalong. "Go to our Village Chief’s house and tell him to make a trip over to our place."
"But..." Wang Dalong hesitated slightly. "Uncle, it’s so late..."
Before Wang Dalong could finish, Zhao Youcai glared at him. "It doesn’t matter that it’s late. You call him. Just say I’m looking for him."
As he spoke, Zhao Youcai pointed to the three guns on Wang Dalong’s shoulder. "Why are you carrying all these guns? Give them to me and Xiaojun."
"Right!" Wang Dalong hurriedly lifted two of the guns off his shoulder. One was Wang Qiang’s shotgun, and the other was the shotgun Zhao Jun had lent to Li Baoyu.
Zhao Youcai took both guns, glanced at Wang Qiang’s, and said to Zhao Jun, "Your uncle’s gun is pretty nice." With that, he slung it over his own shoulder and handed the other one to Zhao Jun.
Then, the group split into three. Wang Qiang and Li Dayong carried Zhang Laibao home; Wang Dalong went to get Zhao Guofeng; and the father and son, Zhao Youcai and Zhao Jun, headed toward the South Land.
As they approached the South Land, before they even entered the cornfield, the father and son heard crying again from somewhere up ahead.
It was a woman’s voice, crying and wailing, "My son... Oh, my son..."